CHAPTER III. Ambition's meteor glittering in his eyes, ULSTER BARD. WE have thus brought an active, handsome young man, full of life, vigour, spirits, curiosity, and money, into the midst of one of the most fascinating cities in the world. How to manage him when he is there is now the question. He will, of course, be surrounded by innumerable temptations. Beauty will bewitchingly smile upon him; splendour will try to dazzle him; flattery to deceive him, and pleasure to seduce him. But he must bear himself steadily and firmly amidst every attack; and, covered with the strong shield of virtuous principles, he must successfully resist every instrument of vicious seduction. That he did so, we rejoice to record; as otherwise, it is probable that his history would not have been worth writing. To his grandfather's vigilance, no doubt, much of the credit of his firmness should be ascribed; for it must be confessed that he was often on the point of yielding to the powerful fascination of some forbidden pleasure, when the venerable image of the old man, chiding him for his indiscretion, would present itself and keep him steady. Some indulgent tempers might, perhaps, have forgiven him, if he had surrendered his heart to one of the angels who bless this world in the seducing forms of the Dublin fair. But at this period his heart was too closely attached to the celestial Muses, to be captivated by terrestrial angels;-in plain terms, the arts and sciences left him no leisure to fall in love. Thus the time passed away smoothly, for about three years, to the entire satisfaction of all parties except Lord Rosendale, who complained that his son had rather neglected his political interest, by refraining to ingratiate himself as much as he might have done, with the great men in office. As, however, he had now become a finished scholar and an elegant speaker, was considerably improved in his knowledge of mankind, and tolerably well versed in the laws and constitution of the realm, his father conceived him to be well qualified to make a figure in the House of Commons; and a vacancy happening at this time in the representation of his native county, he insisted on his becoming a candidate. With considerable reluctance Frederick complied, for he was afraid that his parliamentary efforts would disappoint his father's high-flown expectations. In the event, however, of his election taking place, he prepared to do his best; and his father immediately commenced an active canvass in his favour, with that degree of alacrity and delight which evinced that he believed the consummation of his dearest wishes was at hand. To his warmed imagination, Frederick was just about to become to Ireland, what the first great William Pitt had a few years before become to England, the leader of her senate, the champion of her rights, and her conductor to glory. But, ah! how limited is human foresight! how vain, very vain, are the most plausible of human anticipations! Before the grand struggle at the hustings came on, in one night was the opulent, the gay, the ambitious Viscount Rosendale cut off, in the midst of the most flattering of his political projects, by the untoward accident of a fall from his horse. He had been for some days at the town of Slane, very successfully electioneering among the freeholders of that neighbourhood; and a few hours before he set off for home, in the midst of a concourse of convivial voters, who were regailing at his expense, he was under the necessity of showing his patriotism, by drinking two many bumpers of Irish wine, alias whiskey, to "the purity of elections,""the downfall of political corruption,"—" the rights of Irishmen," &c. &c. He at length departed, amidst the loud cheers of the people, triumphantly waving his hat in the air as he galloped off, attended only by one servant, who had thought proper, during the day, to offer up as many libations to the "Rosendale interest," as his master had done to the "rights of Irishmen." The animal he rode was headstrong and fiery; and being somewhat roughly treated with the spurs, which the viscount, in the high elevation of the moment, dashed into his sides with great energy, he sprung along like an arrow, until, about half a mile from the town, being startled by some unusual appearance in the hedge, he made a sudden bound to one side, and flung his rider into the ditch, amidst a heap of stones that had been there collected for improving the road. His servant's horse also took fright and threw his drunken rider; who on striking the ground dislocated his arm, and became unfit to raise his master, or render him any other service than by his shouts to alarm the neighbourhood. This was indeed of but little VOL. I. consequence to his master, who was found with his skull so dreadfully shattered as to afford no hopes of his surviving. He was carried to the nearest house, and surgical aid procured;—but in vain, for he died the next day. It is needless to consume time in describing the effects of this melancholy accident on the minds of Lord Rosendale's family. After paying the customary honours to his remains, they lived together for some weeks in solitude and sorrow, sincerely bewailing the unexpected and untimely catastrophe of one who had long been endeared to them, not only by the nearest ties of relationship, but also by his constant solicitude for their welfare, and his many other domestic virtues, all of which they now saw in a brighter and more estimable light than they, perhaps, had ever viewed them in before. The suddenness of the viscount's death had preprevented him from making a will. The settlement of the family concerns, therefore, depended almost altogether on the discretion of the new lord, who soon signified to Frederick that he would grant him a handsome yearly allowance; but, as he disliked politics, he would not assist in forwarding his parliamentary views. Frederick himself, not being very anxious for a seat in the legislature, was easily induced to withdraw his name from the list |